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Chapters (53)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. PRAISE
  3. ALSO BY
  4. AUTHOR BIO
  5. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  6. EPIGRAPHS
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. BOOK TWO
  39. 1
  40. 2
  41. 3
  42. 4
  43. 5
  44. 6
  45. 7
  46. 8
  47. 9
  48. 10
  49. 11
  50. 12
  51. 13
  52. 14
  53. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Medea drops to her knees, bows her head to hide her face. You were right, Jason, she says. I’m sorry. I’m weak and give in to rage too easily, as you know. But I see now what you’ve done, securing a future for our sons. With royal brothers, they’ll have a place. I understand that now, and I’m grateful. You’ve done what is right.

But you didn’t understand quickly enough, Jason says. You made threats against the king and his daughter and against me, so now you’ve been banished, and our children with you. You’ve taken away what could have been theirs.

It’s too late for me, Medea says. I understand that. But not for our children. Let our sons take these gifts now to Glauce and her father. A rare dress of fine linen and gold from Egypt, a diadem of beaten gold, cups of nectar the way we made in Colchis. I know I can’t offer these myself, but let the children bring the gifts, and beg Glauce and Kreon to accept them. Our sons should not be with a banished mother who is nothing. They should be here with you and their new brothers.

You think Glauce doesn’t already have gold and fine linen?

Please, Medea says. She’s found tears, so she raises her face now for Jason to see. This is all I have to offer. Please give our sons a better life. I love them more than you can know.

Jason in his triumph. Scowling, imperious, believing he is owed all. This is his weakness. Glauce his, the kingdom his, so why shouldn’t Medea grovel? All that is unnatural seems natural to him.

Well, he says. My sons shouldn’t suffer because of their mother.

13

13

They leave in a kind of procession, led by Jason. Aeson and Promachus bearing the stone cups, careful and proud, two slaves holding the dress as if it were a body lying in the air, third slave holding the diadem outspread like wings. Funerary wedding procession.

Medea left alone. Another threshold crossed, as when she first aided Jason against the bulls or sliced her brother’s throat. No part of Medea’s life may be undone. Each action of hers remains forever. Pelias will not be made young. These cups of poison cannot mean nothing.

She fills a goatskin with water, wraps dates and bread in coarse linen. They will need enough food and water to reach Athens, but they must also travel quickly. Only a few hours to get away from Korinth before Glauce and Kreon will begin to burn.